Nike said it would resign from the board of the United States Chamber of Commerce, becoming the latest company to break with the group over climate policy. Nike said, however, that it would remain a member of the chamber, unlike three large utilities – Pacific Gas and Electric, PNM Resources and Exelon – which recently announced plans to pull out.
The chamber has been under fire for its outspoken resistance to potential carbon regulation from the Environmental Protection Agency or from Congress.
Nike said in a statement, “We believe that on the issue of climate change the chamber has not represented the diversity of perspective held by the board of directors. Therefore, we have decided to resign our board of directors position. We will continue our membership to advocate for climate change legislation inside the committee structure and believe that we can better influence policy by being part of the conversation. Moving forward we will continue to evaluate our membership.”
Thomas J. Donohue, the chamber’s chief executive, said in a statement this week that the chamber “continues to support strong federal legislation and a binding international agreement to reduce carbon emissions and address climate change.”
